Under the Dome 2.02 Review: “Infestation”

The flying kitchen appliances last week were nothing in comparison to this week’s big crisis on Under the Dome: an infestation of hungry caterpillars (seriously) and a murder to solve.

Rebecca discovers a surprising amount of caterpillars in her home garden which leads her to investigate and find that there’s a much larger issue at hand. Something about the dome has influenced the butterflies to reproduce faster than usual meaning this infestation of caterpillars can be deadly for the humans of Chester’s Mill if they continue to eat through their crops. In an effort to kill off as much of their food source, she sets fire to a field. They take things up a notch and Barbie flies a plane over the rest of the fields in town to spread pesticides. For now the problem may be solved, but Rebecca lets Big Jim in on her observation that there’s still not enough of a food supply to sustain everyone under the dome for much longer. That was bound to become a problem eventually.

Speaking of Big Jim, this changed man he’s become reminds me of John Locke from Lost. The way he’s so convinced that the island dome is testing him with all these obstacles is very similar to Locke. Could Barbie be the Jack to this Locke then? It’s definitely possible but it’s too soon to tell for sure. They haven’t had any philosophical science vs. faith debates yet but I can see that happening sooner rather than later, based on the previews for next week’s episode of “biblical proportions.” (It’s raining blood!)

Junior is horrified to find Angie’s body in the high school. Big Jim had sent him to the school in the first place just to open it because Rebecca wants to start teaching again (but do the kids in town really want to go back to school?) Of course, Junior immediately assumes the worst of his father. He knows that Big Jim has killed people before, but Big Jim throws that question right back at him. He suspects his son of Angie’s murder because he knows how obsessed he gets with her. It isn’t until Junior finds Angie’s bracelet underneath the jail cell he’s been crashing in that he starts to question whether or not he could have blacked out and attacked Angie. Someone’s probably just framing him, but who?

The girl from the lake (Melanie, but apparently she hasn’t been given a name yet on the show) is the first suspect arrested after the discovery of a girl’s shoe print at the scene. Her print matched it, but that’s pretty weak evidence. Before the newbie cop Phil arrested her, she confided in Julia that she was at the school and saw a man kill Angie. She can’t answer why she was at the school though, all she could say was that something drew her there. After she was seen running from the school that night, she appeared to have some sort of control over the butterflies so this will be interesting to see develop.

By the end of the episode, poor Joe is understandably having a hard time dealing with his sister’s death. She’s the last family member he has left under the dome at least, and he wants revenge on whoever did this to her. He almost pulled the trigger on the innocent Melanie when she was arrested because Junior convinced him that Angie deserves justice. Luckily Barbie was there just in time to stop him. He’s proving to be Joe’s rock in this tough situation. Joe is late for Angie’s funeral because he’s searching for the bracelet she always wore. Barbie finds him and consoles him that he’s better off saying his goodbyes properly rather than living with the guilt of missing the funeral of someone important to him.

The investigation of Angie’s murder will be interesting to watch unfold. Junior doesn’t seem that psychopathic, but his uncle Sam is still quite the suspiciously mysterious loner in town. Who do you think killed Angie?